DotNetNuke® 5 User's Guide: Get Your Website Up and Running

Book description

An authoritative introduction to implementing DotNetNuke Web sites, by experienced DotNetNuke implementers and trainers

An impressive author team shows you how to easily build Web sites with a variety of content features - no programming experience required.

If your goal is to build the site without worrying about the programming behind it, DotNetNuke 5 User's Guide gives you exactly what you need. After developing a groundwork in the DotNetNuke framework and DotNetNuke as a content management system, it provides installation and administration information. Then it takes you step by step through a variety of use cases, implementation strategies, and configuration decisions for various sites.

  • Introduces the benefits of content management systems, open source, how DotNetNuke functions as a content management system, and DotNetNuke modules, pages, and skins

  • Explains the installation process, options for installing DotNetNuke, and requirements, as well as administration functionality and content management fundamentals for DNN sites

  • Examines different use cases, implementation strategies, and configuration decisions

  • Shows how to develop and implement a personal Web site, a team or club community, a small business site, and an enterprise solution

  • Looks at various advanced topics relevant to all use cases, ranging from advanced installation options to detailed administrative features

  • Includes a foreword by Shaun Walker, creator of DotNetNuke and Wrox DotnetNuke series editor

DotNetNuke 5 User's Guide provides the tools you need to put this valuable technology to work.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Authors
  3. Credits
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Foreword
  6. Introduction
    1. 0.1. Who This Book Is For
    2. 0.2. What This Book Covers
    3. 0.3. How This Book Is Structured
    4. 0.4. What You Need to Use This Book
    5. 0.5. Conventions
    6. 0.6. Errata
    7. 0.7. p2p.wrox.com
  7. 1. Introduction To DotNetNuke
    1. 1.1. What Is a Content Management System?
    2. 1.2. What Is Open Source?
      1. 1.2.1. Software Licenses
        1. 1.2.1.1. Common Retail Software Licenses
        2. 1.2.1.2. Common Open Source Licenses
    3. 1.3. What Is DotNetNuke?
      1. 1.3.1. Who Uses DotNetNuke?
      2. 1.3.2. What Does the License Allow?
      3. 1.3.3. A Brief History of DotNetNuke
        1. 1.3.3.1. Who Develops DotNetNuke?
        2. 1.3.3.2. Multiplatform Support
        3. 1.3.3.3. The DotNetNuke Corporation
        4. 1.3.3.4. DotNetNuke Professional and Community Editions
    4. 1.4. What Is the DotNetNuke Ecosystem?
    5. 1.5. What Does DotNetNuke Provide and How?
      1. 1.5.1. Security
      2. 1.5.2. Pages
      3. 1.5.3. Extensions, Modules, and Skins
      4. 1.5.4. Upgrades
      5. 1.5.5. Users Management
    6. 1.6. Common Misconceptions
    7. 1.7. Summary
  8. 2. Installing DotNetNuke
    1. 2.1. Web Server Basics
    2. 2.2. Pre-Installation Considerations
      1. 2.2.1. What Kind of a Website Will You Be Building?
      2. 2.2.2. How Much Content Will Your Website Have?
      3. 2.2.3. How Much Traffic Will Your Website Receive?
      4. 2.2.4. Who Is Your Intended Audience?
      5. 2.2.5. Will Your Website Have Its Own Domain Name?
    3. 2.3. Installation Requirements
      1. 2.3.1. DotNetNuke Requirements
        1. 2.3.1.1. Operating System and Web Server
        2. 2.3.1.2. Microsoft.NET Framework
        3. 2.3.1.3. Database Requirements
        4. 2.3.1.4. Necessary File Permissions
      2. 2.3.2. Third-Party Hosting Considerations
    4. 2.4. Which Version of DotNetNuke?
    5. 2.5. The Local Installation Process
      1. 2.5.1. File System Configuration
        1. 2.5.1.1. Creating a DotNetNuke Folder
        2. 2.5.1.2. Placing the DotNetNuke Files
        3. 2.5.1.3. Configuring Security Permissions
      2. 2.5.2. Setting Up Your Web Server
        1. 2.5.2.1. Configuring Your Web Server
        2. 2.5.2.2. Creating Your Website
      3. 2.5.3. Configuring Your Database
    6. 2.6. The Hosted Installation Process
      1. 2.6.1.
        1. 2.6.1.1. Adding the Domain
        2. 2.6.1.2. Configuring the Settings
        3. 2.6.1.3. Configuring the Files
    7. 2.7. Using the DotNetNuke Installation Wizard
      1. 2.7.1. File Permissions Check
      2. 2.7.2. Database Check
      3. 2.7.3. User Configuration
    8. 2.8. Summary
  9. 3. DotNetNuke Concepts and Host Configuration
    1. 3.1. Definitions
      1. 3.1.1. Portals
      2. 3.1.2. Pages
      3. 3.1.3. URLs
      4. 3.1.4. Skins
      5. 3.1.5. Modules
      6. 3.1.6. Containers
      7. 3.1.7. Actions Menu
      8. 3.1.8. Control Panel
      9. 3.1.9. Providers
    2. 3.2. Dissecting a DotNetNuke Page
      1. 3.2.1. Logo
      2. 3.2.2. Navigation Elements
      3. 3.2.3. Search Functionality
      4. 3.2.4. Register/Login Links
      5. 3.2.5. Breadcrumb
      6. 3.2.6. Page Content
      7. 3.2.7. Content Positioning
      8. 3.2.8. Privacy Statement, Terms of Use, and Copyright
    3. 3.3. Overview of Administration within DNN
      1. 3.3.1. The Super User Account
      2. 3.3.2. The Administrator Account
    4. 3.4. Logging In to Your Portal
    5. 3.5. Administrative Modes
      1. 3.5.1. Page Mode Selection
      2. 3.5.2. ADMIN and HOST Menu Items
        1. 3.5.2.1. The Host Settings Option
          1. 3.5.2.1.1. Configuration
          2. 3.5.2.1.2. Host Details
          3. 3.5.2.1.3. Fallback Skin Doctype
          4. 3.5.2.1.4. Enable Remember Me
          5. 3.5.2.1.5. Appearance
          6. 3.5.2.1.6. Show Copyright Credits
          7. 3.5.2.1.7. Use Custom Error Messages
          8. 3.5.2.1.8. Host Skin
          9. 3.5.2.1.9. Host Container
          10. 3.5.2.1.10. Edit Skin and Edit Container
          11. 3.5.2.1.11. Advanced Settings
          12. 3.5.2.1.12. Friendly URL Settings
          13. 3.5.2.1.13. Request Filter Settings
          14. 3.5.2.1.14. Proxy Settings
          15. 3.5.2.1.15. SMTP Server Settings
          16. 3.5.2.1.16. Performance Settings
          17. 3.5.2.1.17. Compression Settings
          18. 3.5.2.1.18. JQuery Settings
          19. 3.5.2.1.19. Other Settings
          20. 3.5.2.1.20. Saving the Host Settings
        2. 3.5.2.2. The Module Definitions/Extensions Options
          1. 3.5.2.2.1. Locating Extensions
          2. 3.5.2.2.2. Installing Extensions
          3. 3.5.2.2.3. Restricting Access to Modules
        3. 3.5.2.3. The Portals Option
    6. 3.6. Summary
  10. 4. Portal and Content Administration
    1. 4.1. Administrative Functionality
    2. 4.2. Site Settings
      1. 4.2.1. Basic Settings
        1. 4.2.1.1. Site Details
          1. 4.2.1.1.1. Title
          2. 4.2.1.1.2. Description
          3. 4.2.1.1.3. Keywords
          4. 4.2.1.1.4. Copyright
          5. 4.2.1.1.5. GUID
        2. 4.2.1.2. Site Marketing
          1. 4.2.1.2.1. Search Engine
          2. 4.2.1.2.2. Site Map URL
          3. 4.2.1.2.3. Verification
          4. 4.2.1.2.4. Banners
        3. 4.2.1.3. Appearance
          1. 4.2.1.3.1. Logo
          2. 4.2.1.3.2. Body Background
          3. 4.2.1.3.3. Enable Skin Widgets
          4. 4.2.1.3.4. Skins and Containers
          5. 4.2.1.3.5. Portal Skin
          6. 4.2.1.3.6. Portal Container
          7. 4.2.1.3.7. Edit Skin
          8. 4.2.1.3.8. Edit Container
      2. 4.2.2. Advanced Settings
        1. 4.2.2.1. Security Settings
        2. 4.2.2.2. Page Management
          1. 4.2.2.2.1. Splash Page
          2. 4.2.2.2.2. Home Page
          3. 4.2.2.2.3. Login Page
          4. 4.2.2.2.4. User Page
          5. 4.2.2.2.5. Home Directory
        3. 4.2.2.3. Payment Settings
        4. 4.2.2.4. Usability Settings
          1. 4.2.2.4.1. Inline Editor Enabled
          2. 4.2.2.4.2. Control Panel Mode
          3. 4.2.2.4.3. Control Panel Visibility
          4. 4.2.2.4.4. Control Panel Security
        5. 4.2.2.5. Other Settings
          1. 4.2.2.5.1. Administrator
          2. 4.2.2.5.2. Default Language
          3. 4.2.2.5.3. Portal Time Zone
        6. 4.2.2.6. Portal Aliases (Host Only)
        7. 4.2.2.7. SSL Settings (Host Only)
          1. 4.2.2.7.1. SSL Enabled
          2. 4.2.2.7.2. SSL Enforced
          3. 4.2.2.7.3. SSL URL
          4. 4.2.2.7.4. Standard URL
        8. 4.2.2.8. Host Settings (Host Only)
          1. 4.2.2.8.1. Premium Modules
        9. 4.2.2.9. Stylesheet Editor
    3. 4.3. Roles
      1. 4.3.1. Managing Roles
        1. 4.3.1.1. Role Groups
        2. 4.3.1.2. Creating Roles
          1. 4.3.1.2.1. Basic Settings
          2. 4.3.1.2.2. Advanced Settings
        3. 4.3.1.3. Editing Roles
        4. 4.3.1.4. Managing Users in Roles
          1. 4.3.1.4.1. Adding Users to a Role
          2. 4.3.1.4.2. Removing Users from a Role
    4. 4.4. Users
      1. 4.4.1. Adding Users
      2. 4.4.2. Existing Users
        1. 4.4.2.1. Editing Users
        2. 4.4.2.2. Managing User Roles
      3. 4.4.3. Deleting Unauthorized Users
      4. 4.4.4. Profile Properties
    5. 4.5. Permissions
      1. 4.5.1. Permissions Grid
      2. 4.5.2. Deny Permissions
      3. 4.5.3. Inherit View Permissions from Page
      4. 4.5.4. Workflow Permissions
    6. 4.6. Pages
      1. 4.6.1. Navigation
      2. 4.6.2. Adding and Editing Pages
        1. 4.6.2.1. Page Settings
          1. 4.6.2.1.1. Page Name
          2. 4.6.2.1.2. Page Title
          3. 4.6.2.1.3. Description
          4. 4.6.2.1.4. Keywords
          5. 4.6.2.1.5. Parent Page
          6. 4.6.2.1.6. Insert Page
          7. 4.6.2.1.7. Template Folder (Add Page Only)
          8. 4.6.2.1.8. Page Template (Add Page Only)
          9. 4.6.2.1.9. Include in Menu
          10. 4.6.2.1.10. Permissions
          11. 4.6.2.1.11. Copy Permissions to Descendants (Edit Page Only)
          12. 4.6.2.1.12. Copy from Page (Add/Copy Page Only)
          13. 4.6.2.1.13. Specify Modules (Only When Copy from Page Is Selected)
          14. 4.6.2.1.14. Icon
          15. 4.6.2.1.15. Page Skin/Container
          16. 4.6.2.1.16. Disabled
          17. 4.6.2.1.17. Refresh Interval (Seconds)
          18. 4.6.2.1.18. Page Header Tags
          19. 4.6.2.1.19. Secure
          20. 4.6.2.1.20. Start Date / End Date
          21. 4.6.2.1.21. Link URL
          22. 4.6.2.1.22. Permanently Redirect
        2. 4.6.2.2. Page Completion
    7. 4.7. Modules
      1. 4.7.1. Adding Modules to a Page
      2. 4.7.2. Module Settings
        1. 4.7.2.1. Basic Settings
          1. 4.7.2.1.1. Module
          2. 4.7.2.1.2. Module Title
          3. 4.7.2.1.3. Permissions
        2. 4.7.2.2. Advanced Settings
          1. 4.7.2.2.1. Display Module On All Pages
          2. 4.7.2.2.2. Header/Footer
          3. 4.7.2.2.3. Start Date/End Date
        3. 4.7.2.3. Page Settings
          1. 4.7.2.3.1. Icon
          2. 4.7.2.3.2. Alignment
          3. 4.7.2.3.3. Color and Border
          4. 4.7.2.3.4. Visibility
          5. 4.7.2.3.5. Display Container
          6. 4.7.2.3.6. Allow Print
          7. 4.7.2.3.7. Allow Syndicate
          8. 4.7.2.3.8. Is a WebSlice
          9. 4.7.2.3.9. Module Container
          10. 4.7.2.3.10. Cache Time
          11. 4.7.2.3.11. Set As Default Settings
          12. 4.7.2.3.12. Apply To All Modules
          13. 4.7.2.3.13. Move to Page
        4. 4.7.2.4. Module-Specific Settings
      3. 4.7.3. Managing a Module
        1. 4.7.3.1. Moving Modules on a Page
        2. 4.7.3.2. Deleting Modules from a Page
        3. 4.7.3.3. Working with Module Content
    8. 4.8. Summary
  11. 5. Creating Your Personal Site
    1. 5.1. Planning for Your Personal Site
      1. 5.1.1. Goals for Your Personal Site
      2. 5.1.2. Who Is Your Audience?
    2. 5.2. Essential DNN Setup for a Personal Site
      1. 5.2.1. Basic Site Settings
        1. 5.2.1.1. Giving Your Site a Meaningful Title
        2. 5.2.1.2. Establishing a Description and Keywords
      2. 5.2.2. Identifying Your Users in DNN
        1. 5.2.2.1. Who Is the Administrator?
        2. 5.2.2.2. Site Membership
      3. 5.2.3. Establishing the Appearance of Your Site
        1. 5.2.3.1. Skin Design Considerations
        2. 5.2.3.2. Container Design Considerations
        3. 5.2.3.3. Choosing the Default Skin and Container
      4. 5.2.4. Organizing the File System
    3. 5.3. Page Creation and Content Organization
      1. 5.3.1. The Home Page
      2. 5.3.2. The My Blog Page
        1. 5.3.2.1. Creating Your Blog
        2. 5.3.2.2. Applying Blog Module Settings to Your Blog
      3. 5.3.3. The About Me Page
        1. 5.3.3.1. Links Module Setup
      4. 5.3.4. The My Photos Page
    4. 5.4. Summary
  12. 6. Creating a League Website
    1. 6.1. Reasons for a Sport League Site
    2. 6.2. Setting Up Your Site
      1. 6.2.1. Identifying the Site Administrator
        1. 6.2.1.1. Creating a Generic Administrator E-mail Account
        2. 6.2.1.2. Changing the Administrator Account's E-Mail
      2. 6.2.2. Setting Up External Webmaster Tools
        1. 6.2.2.1. Creating a Site Map for Search Engines
        2. 6.2.2.2. Managing Your Site Information with Search Engines
      3. 6.2.3. Organizing the File System
      4. 6.2.4. Establishing Membership Online
        1. 6.2.4.1. Verifying User Registration
        2. 6.2.4.2. Collecting Information from Your Users
        3. 6.2.4.3. Requiring a Profile from Your Users
        4. 6.2.4.4. Specifying Specific Registration and Login Pages
        5. 6.2.4.5. Adding Users to Roles
        6. 6.2.4.6. User Registration—Putting It All Together
    3. 6.3. Organizing, Creating, and Managing Content
      1. 6.3.1. Planning Your Site Map
      2. 6.3.2. Applying Permissions
    4. 6.4. Administering Content with Modules
      1. 6.4.1. Announcements Module
      2. 6.4.2. Forum Module
      3. 6.4.3. Events Module
    5. 6.5. Summary
  13. 7. Creating a Small Business Website
    1. 7.1. Why Use DotNetNuke for Your Small Business Website?
      1. 7.1.1. Goals for Your Website
    2. 7.2. Site Administration Considerations
      1. 7.2.1. Site Settings
      2. 7.2.2. Allowing Users to Manage Services
      3. 7.2.3. Creating Secure Pages
        1. 7.2.3.1. What Is Secure Sockets Layer?
        2. 7.2.3.2. Secure Sockets Layer Settings in DotNetNuke
    3. 7.3. Custom Design Considerations
      1. 7.3.1. Layouts and Skin Variations
      2. 7.3.2. Consistent Navigation Elements
      3. 7.3.3. Dynamic Content to Include
      4. 7.3.4. Tracking Traffic with Google Analytics
        1. 7.3.4.1. Including Tracking Codes in a Module
        2. 7.3.4.2. Key Traffic Metrics
    4. 7.4. Administering Content
      1. 7.4.1. Planning Your Page Structure
    5. 7.5. Administering Your Store
      1. 7.5.1. The Store Admin Module
      2. 7.5.2. The Store Catalog Module
      3. 7.5.3. The Store Menu Module
      4. 7.5.4. The Store Mini-Cart Module
      5. 7.5.5. The Store Account Module
    6. 7.6. Additional Content Options
      1. 7.6.1. The FAQ Module
      2. 7.6.2. The Feedback Module
    7. 7.7. Summary
  14. 8. Advanced Portal Administration
    1. 8.1. Evaluating Your DNN Environment
      1. 8.1.1. Shared File System and Database
        1. 8.1.1.1. Implication of a Shared File System and Database
    2. 8.2. Managing Multiple Portals
      1. 8.2.1. How Multiple Portals Work
        1. 8.2.1.1. Portal Aliases
        2. 8.2.1.2. Using Portal Aliases
      2. 8.2.2. Creating Additional Portals
        1. 8.2.2.1. Adding a Child Portal
        2. 8.2.2.2. Adding a Parent Portal
        3. 8.2.2.3. Configuring Portal Settings as the Host
    3. 8.3. Managing Files on Your Server
      1. 8.3.1. Files Stored by the Host
        1. 8.3.1.1. Referencing Host Files
      2. 8.3.2. File Storage and Management
        1. 8.3.2.1. Standard – File System Storage
        2. 8.3.2.2. Secure – File System Storage
        3. 8.3.2.3. Secure – Database Storage
        4. 8.3.2.4. File Manager Permissions
    4. 8.4. Portal and Page Templates
      1. 8.4.1. Portal Templates
      2. 8.4.2. Page Templates
        1. 8.4.2.1. Creating and Using a Page Template
    5. 8.5. Distributing Content Management Responsibilities
      1. 8.5.1.
        1. 8.5.1.1. Page Edit Permissions
        2. 8.5.1.2. Copying to Descendents
        3. 8.5.1.3. Using Referenced Modules
    6. 8.6. Leveraging the Provider Model
    7. 8.7. Summary
  15. 9. Your Website Is Up and Running — Now What?
    1. 9.1. Portal Health
      1. 9.1.1. Database Health
        1. 9.1.1.1. Database Size
        2. 9.1.1.2. Database Backup History
      2. 9.1.2. Pages and Users
      3. 9.1.3. Modules and Skin in Use
    2. 9.2. Backing Up Your Website
      1. 9.2.1. When to Back Up
        1. 9.2.1.1. Scheduled Backups
        2. 9.2.1.2. Upgrading DotNetNuke
        3. 9.2.1.3. When Installing/Upgrading/Uninstalling a Module
      2. 9.2.2. How to Back Up
        1. 9.2.2.1. Backing Up the File System
          1. 9.2.2.1.1. Local File System Backups
          2. 9.2.2.1.2. Remote File System Backups
        2. 9.2.2.2. Backing Up the Database
          1. 9.2.2.2.1. Local Database Backups
          2. 9.2.2.2.2. Remote Database Backups
      3. 9.2.3. How to Restore
        1. 9.2.3.1. The Basics
          1. 9.2.3.1.1. Disabling Your Website
          2. 9.2.3.1.2. Creating a New Site in IIS
        2. 9.2.3.2. Restoring the Files
          1. 9.2.3.2.1. Restoring Local Files
          2. 9.2.3.2.2. Restoring Remote Files
        3. 9.2.3.3. Restoring the Database
          1. 9.2.3.3.1. Restoring the Local Database
          2. 9.2.3.3.2. Restoring the Remote Database
    3. 9.3. Upgrading DotNetNuke
      1. 9.3.1. Deciding When to Upgrade
      2. 9.3.2. Disabling Your Website during an Upgrade
      3. 9.3.3. Deciding Which Package to Use
      4. 9.3.4. Performing an Upgrade
        1. 9.3.4.1. Using the Upgrade Package
        2. 9.3.4.2. Using the Install Package
    4. 9.4. Upgrading Extensions (Modules and Skins)
    5. 9.5. Setting Up Multiple Environments
      1. 9.5.1. Types of Environments
      2. 9.5.2. Configuring a New Environment
    6. 9.6. Rotating Content Using Banners
      1. 9.6.1. Managing Vendor Accounts
        1. 9.6.1.1. Vendor Relationships
        2. 9.6.1.2. Managing Banner Advertisements
      2. 9.6.2. Banner Placement
      3. 9.6.3. Other Uses for Banners
    7. 9.7. Token Replacement
    8. 9.8. Sending Newsletters
      1. 9.8.1. Basic Settings
      2. 9.8.2. The Message of Your E-mail
      3. 9.8.3. Advanced Settings
    9. 9.9. Managing the Recycle Bin
    10. 9.10. Configuring User Settings
      1. 9.10.1. Membership Provider Settings
      2. 9.10.2. Password Aging Settings
      3. 9.10.3. User Accounts Settings
        1. 9.10.3.1. User Accounts Display Options
        2. 9.10.3.2. User Account Display Options
        3. 9.10.3.3. Account Access and Creation
    11. 9.11. Advanced Administrative Functionality
    12. 9.12. Summary

Product information

  • Title: DotNetNuke® 5 User's Guide: Get Your Website Up and Running
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: June 2009
  • Publisher(s): Wrox
  • ISBN: 9780470462577